LEAD STORY - SOCCER: Goals, defence worry Chandler

ANENDRA SINGH
As Hawke's Bay United and Canterbury United players lined up in the womb of Bluewater Stadium, Napier, yesterday before their soccer match the captains revved up the lads.
At the tail end of both rows of teams two players acknowledged each other.
Any other day Solomon Islanders Andrew Abba and Michael Fifii would probably have been in the same team but yesterday they were enemies. They avoided each other's gaze but as they jogged on the spot, the irritating sound of the sprigs of their boots at odds with the concrete floor, they shook hands and nodded as if to say: ``May the best team win.'
Cousins Fifii and Abba played their hearts out but the more experienced Canterbury prevailed. Fifii scored a goal in the 16th minute and created havoc for the Bay defence in the New Zealand Football Championship match for his Canterbury team to return home with two crucial points after their 2-1 victory.
As Abba, Fifii and Vanuatu international Seule Soromon mingled and took photos amid complimentary remarks in pidgin English in the changing rooms, it was quite obvious the Bay pair didn't have their best day.
Doing most of the talking, Fifii, 21, told SportToday: ``We didn't talk about the game before the kick-off. It's the first time me and Andrew playing against each other.'
In his second season with the Dragons, the printing apprentice and academy coach said his teammates finally got the win they desperately sought.
Abba did his darnedest but often looked overawed and stranded up front as goal-scoring opportunities went begging.
``I lacked a bit of confidence,' was schoolboy Abba's stark confession.
In some ways, the scoreline doesn't do justice to the visitors' dominance.
Soromon, munching on a bunch of bananas, shrugged his shoulders when asked if he perhaps should have come into the game a little earlier or even in the starting line-up.
However, he did disclose he had scored an autographed shirt and photo with English soccer star David Beckham in Auckland the previous weekend despite his five-minute run-on towards the end of the LA Galaxy versus Oceania All Star clash.
Taking over the coaching helm from head coach coach Jonathan Gould, who is away with the New Zealand Under-20 team in Tahiti, assistant Matt Chandler said the Bay boys had had a brainstorming session in the changing-rooms post mortem.
``My main disappointment is the goals we conceded. They were very similar and we didn't defend very well.
``I thought in periods of the game we played very well. As I've said to the lads now things that we control we've got to do better,' Chandler said.
He had asked the players how brave they were in the mental sense although he had made some brave substitutions.
``I'm talking psychologically how much courage did we have been involved in the game today.
``How far are we prepared to go mentally as players and a group of players to get the result we needed today,' Chandler lamented.
He said no one doubted the players' passion but he and Gould needed that commitment from them this season.
``How do we respond from this now,' he said, adding the reaction from the troops would stay within the sanctums of the changing rooms.
``We must bounce back from this performance and the slight dip in form that we do have.'
Chandler agreed that the visitors' midfield had more possession and bypassed their engine room, which lacked compact, with ease.
Graham Fyfe had his hands full marking an elusive Fifii but with Leon Birnie pushing up hard with Abba and captain Chris McIvor in attack the Bay pair of Greig Henslee and Cole Peverley were left floundering against four Canterbury midfielders who played one-touch footy within proximity of each other.
Another enigma was McIvor awkwardly finding himself in sixes and sevens as the Bay defended their line precariously.
In Fifii's opening goal he his head had betrayed him as a ball from the corner miscued over the line to concede another corner that yielded first blood.
It was a hapless McIvor header again in the 67th minute from a Tom Lancaster cornerkick that found the roof of the net for an own goal and his inevitable substitution.
Play was halted for a couple of minutes after referee Mike Hester ordered the net be secured.
Eager to reverse their sluggish start to the season, Canterbury coach Korouch Monsef said the Dragons had been progressively improving after two draws.
``We've never really been more than a goal away from any opponent,' Monsef said, hopelessly failing to disguise his delight.
``It's long overdue and we've been waiting for this win for a while and it's a big boost for the players.'
Explained Monsef: ``We play with a very compact four of midfield players and that is designed to put pressure on the opponents and also share the workload.
``On such a big pitch you also have to keep the distances close so I think we did that very well tactically today. We were able to stop Hawke's Bay's key players from playing and getting into the game.'
Bay keeper Mitchell O'Brien was again valiant in defence but his counterpart, Michael O'Keefe, stole the thunder with some breathtaking saves.
Chandler injected Vanuatu international Seule Soromon in Abba's position and David Gearey for a frustrated McIvor but it was too little too late.
The Bay's goal came courtesy of Fyfe in the 70th minute when he had O'Keefe diving to the wrong side from a penalty kick after defender Matt Boyd fouled midfielder Greig Henslee in the 18m box.
At the end of the day, the Bay simply didn't deserve to draw let alone win the match in one of their more enigmatic outings.
They also missed the opportunity to go to the top of the table.
Ironically, Canterbury's points keep the table congested as the eight teams jostle for position in a tight scramble for qualifiers as five points separate the contenders.
The Bay's next hurdle is away against last-placed Otago United who drew 1-all against Team Wellington yesterday.